Sanding device for street-cars



"(-No Model.)

A. S. BUN-EER. SANDING DEVICE POR STREET GARS.

N0. 490,896.` Patented Jan. 31, 1893.

' @Mom/w13 o., WASHINGTON D c UNHE STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AUGUSTUS S. BUNKER, OF LAWRENCE, MASSACHUSETTS.

SANDING DEVICE FOR STREET-CARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 490,896, dated January31,01893.

Application iiled October 28,1 8 92.

To all whom. t nfl/ty concern.-

Beit known that I, AUGUSTUS S. BUNKER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Lawrence, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sanding Devices forStreet-Cars; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full,clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to theannexed drawings, making a part of this specification, and to theletters of reference marked thereon.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in devicesfor applying sand to tracks'and while it is especially adapted forstreet-cars still it is applicable to any kind of moving vehiclesadapted for traveling on a stationary track and it is to be understoodas not in any way restricted to street-car use.

It has for its objects among others to provide a simple and cheapmechanism readily applied to any and all forms of cars and to thosealready in use. All the mechanism is arranged outside the car wherebyspace in the car is not encroached upon, and I have so arranged theparts and connected them with the operating lever or rod that bothtracks can be sanded at the one time and by the movement of the samelever or rod. The receptacle in which the sand is held is also of novelconstruction, providing against waste of material and aiming to protectthe plunger and its spring.

Other objects and advantages of t-he invention will be hereinafter madeapparent and the novel features thereof will. be specifically defined bythe appended claims.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings,which, with the letters of reference marked thereon, form a part of thisspecification, and in which- Figure l is a side elevation, with partsbroken away, of a portion of a car equipped with my improvements. Fig. 2is an enlarged vertical section through the sand receptacle. Fig. 3 is aplan view showing the manner of connecting the operating levers.

. Like letters of reference indicate like parts "throughout the severalviews.

Referring now to the details of the drawings by letter, A designates aportion of the floor or platform of a car of known construc- Serial No.450,232. (No model.)

tion, B the tracks, C the axle, and D the wheels, all of which may be ofany wellknown or approved form of construction.

The sanding device may be arranged to sand one or both tracks, and whileI have shown in Fig. 3 a means whereby both tracks may be simultaneouslysanded it is evident that the other features of the invention are asapplicable to the sanding of but one track.

E is a bracket having a horizontal portion b by which and suitable meansit is designed to be secured to the under side of the floor ory der issecured, the said bottom having a neck or spout f with a passage way gwhich communicates with the interior of the vessel and the upper end ofthe said bottom being inclined from the outside toward said passagewayas seen in Fig. 2.

G is the cap of the vessel, having a iiange fitting within the cylinderand a neck portion or boss g which is formed with a shoulder handasmaller tubular portion h all as seen in Fig. 2.

Iis the tube secured to the neck portion g of the cap and dependingtherefrom for a sufficient distance within the vessel.V

.I is a smaller tube iitted to slide Within the tube I and havingsecured within its lower end a block j to which is secured the lower endof the rod K which passes upward through the tubular portion of the capand through the said cap. A spring L is confined within the tubes,having one end held against the block j and its other end against theshoulder h of the cap as shown in Fig. 2. The cap piece is provided withan opening Z through which the sand can be deposited in the vessel, andthis opening may be closed in any suitable manner, as by a screw plug Mas shown. The lower end of the inner tube ts snugly against the bottomof the vessel and the natural tendency of the spring is to keep itclosed so as to stop the flow of sand through the discharge spout.

O is a lever pivoted between its ends to a IOO suitable bracket o on theunder side of the platform of the car and at one end connected pivotallywith the upper end of the rod K as for instance by being held on a pivotin the bifurcation lo oi' said rod and its other end is pivotallyconnected With the vertical pushrod P Which is fitted to slidevertically through an opening q in the platform and is provided with abutton Q as seen in Fig. l. Simply pressing upon this button willdepress that end of the lever and consequently elevate the other end andthus raise the rod K and the inner tubeand thus disclose the dischargeopening in the Vessel and allow the sand to fioW out onto the track;When pressure is removed from the button the spring returns the parts totheir normal position and stops the flow of sand.

When it desired to sand both tracks at once I arrange the tWoreceptacles one over each track as seen in Fig. 3 and rub the leversfrom the two receptacles in an inclined direction as seen in Fig. 3 andpivotally connect them both with a centrally-arranged pushrod and buttonas shown so that when the push-rod is depressed both levers Will besimultaneously operated and both tracks sanded.

What I claim as new is;-

1. The combination with the receptacle having discharge spout and cap,of a tube Within the vessel depending from the cap, a smaller tubesliding Within said tube, a spring Within the tubes, and a rod connectedWith the inner tube and passed through the cap, as set forth.

2. The combination with the vessel having bottom with discharge spoutand a cap with a neck and a tubular portion, of the tube secured to saidneck, the smaller tube sliding Within said tube, the spring Within thetubes, the block in the inner tube and the rod held to said block andpassed through the tubular portion and through the cap, as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the above I have l hereunto subscribed my namein the presence of two Witnesses.

AUGUSTUS S. BUN KER.

Witnesses:

DAVID N. MARTIN, JOHN S. F. HAM.

